Five Times Jess Thought Becker Was Gay
by freakess360
Summary: … and the one time she figured it out. eventual Jess/Becker whump/angst [ONE-SHOT] [COMPLETE]


Five Times Jess Thought Becker Was Gay

 **Summary:** … and the one time she figured it out. eventual Jess/Becker whump/angst [ONE-SHOT] [COMPLETE]

 _ **A/N:**_ **This story has been forming in the back of my mind for the past few weeks and I finally had a few hours to get it all down. I always thought it would be funny if Jess didn't chase after Becker, or make her affections known, because she thought he was gay.**

 **I absolutely love** _ **Primeval**_ **!** **The saddest thing was that I discovered the fandom just as they canceled the last season. I like to think it's taken me so long to write something about my favorite characters because I still haven't gotten over the cancelation. But, in truth, I couldn't seem to think of a story that would do the show justice.**

 **But now… hopefully I outdid myself. Please, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Primeval_ or any of its characters. (I do own all my original characters.)

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **1 – The Locker Room**

Jess didn't normally leave the Hub during her shift. She was usually too busy managing the ADD. Besides, her friends always brought her whatever she needed.

Abby would bring her pleasant conversation. Connor would always bring her technology from the labs. Becker would bring her chocolate, no orange. And Matt would usually bring her coffee.

This week, however, several new recruits were joining the ARC's security team. Becker and Matt were in charge of briefing the new men before beginning their formal training in the facility. As such, Jess had gone all day without chocolate or coffee and it was starting to take its toll.

Not being able to continue her work without any form of caffeine, the young field coordinator decided to take matters into her own hands.

After finding someone to cover the ADD for her, Jess made her way to the break room in search of coffee. Several soldiers were lounging about a table in the far corner when she entered. Jess ignored them and they ignored her.

The field coordinator headed straight for the coffee maker only to find it empty. Dismayed, she shuffled through the cupboards to find more grounds. And, when she did, Jess carefully measured and placed them in a new filter. Once the water was added and the machine was fully running Jess finally allowed herself to relax, knowing that she couldn't will the coffee to be made any faster.

"He's too well groomed for a soldier."

The statement seemed to echo across the break room.

Jess glanced over her shoulder to look at the room's only other occupants. The group of soldiers was fully engaged in their own conversation that they didn't notice the young woman's curious stare.

"He's military," a tall, dark-haired soldier shrugged, "what do you expect? A slob?"

The remaining seated men murmured in agreement.

"He gels his hair," the first soldier spoke again, defending his original declaration.

The others only laughed.

The youngest in the group, clearly eager for approval, spoke up over the laughter, "I think I saw a bottle of gel in his locker!"

Jess smiled at their antics before turning back to watch the dripping coffee. It would be another couple of seconds until the pot would be finished.

"He's not gay, is he?"

A few soldiers snorted at the thought. "Nah."

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," the first man defended when he saw a few more serious looks, "I'm just curious."

"Well, go be curious somewhere else," one of the fair-haired soldiers stated as he stood; his chair scraped across the floor loudly in his wake. "Just because a man is well groomed doesn't mean he's gay. Have some respect!"

"Alright, alright," the soldier said, his hands open in front of him in surrender. Feeling the uncomfortable silence that was following the conversation, the man continued, "I need to be going anyway, my shift starts in a few minutes..."

Jess had finally poured her cup of coffee and topped it off with some sugar when she was almost run over by the fleeing solider. She was able to avoid collision, saving both herself and the coffee from a nasty spill. The soldier murmured an apology before dashing down the brightly lit corridor.

Not feeling very charitable due to her lack of caffeine, Jess pursed her lips and scoffed at the man's retreating back before she made her way back toward the Hub.

Unfortunately, Jess was back on duty for just a few minutes before the ADD sounded. Her cooling coffee and the overheard conversation were soon forgotten.

The next day Jess arrived at the ARC early to finish some paper work she had neglected the night before. Her phone – which she had directly connected to the ADD some months ago – informed her that an Anomaly and Incursion had occurred a few hours previously. Knowing that Becker had been on the night shift again, Jess decided to head to the locker room first to see if he was all right.

She found the Captain drying his hair.

Jess was concerned. She knew that Becker only showered in the ARC when he needed to decompress from a bad Incursion. To hide her worry, Jess playfully asked, "That bad, huh?"

"Oh hey, Jess," he quirked his lips in a typical Becker smile. "The exploding prehistoric slugs weren't so bad, just messy."

Jess laughed, mostly in relief.

Becker's lips twitched again.

"Well, I'm glad everything worked out."

"As well as it could," the Captain said. He hung up the damp towel in his open locker. Becker reached into the top shelf to grab a comb.

Jess couldn't help but notice an open bottle of hair gel, half empty, in the far back corner of the locker.

 **.**

 **.**

 **2 – The Bar**

It was finally Friday and everyone was excited for the weekend. Connor and Abby had been bugging Jess all week to visit a new bar that had opened in the city. Jess finally caved when they also managed to convince Matt and a few lab techs to come along too.

There had been two Anomalies that morning so Jess was, once again, behind on her paper work. Luckily she had planned ahead and worn her party outfit to work instead of planning on changing at her apartment beforehand.

As expected, when Lester saw her he had had a strict word with the young woman about her conduct.

"This is a place of work, Miss Parker, not some backwards hole in the wall where young people go to thrash around in beer and sweat until they are too exhausted to do anything else but pass out in a dumpster until they are found the next morning drowning in their own vomit!"

While Jess might have agreed that her shoes were higher than usual, her skirt remained at an appropriate length. Although it appeared her definition of appropriate seemed to differ from Lester's. The Anomalies had proved a decent enough distraction to get Lester off her back for a little while.

"Come on Jess, let's go!" Connor whined, wildly flapping his arms like the impatient toddler that he was.

"Calm down, the bar's not going anywhere!" Jess snapped back. "Just one more minute."

"Everyone is waiting on you," the young man complained.

And, upon turning around, Jess spied their little party of people loitering around the back of the Hub. "Sorry guys!" she called out.

"It's okay, Jess," Matt responded. "Don't listen to Connor, we don't mind."

Just then Becker entered the Hub.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Jess exclaimed. "Becker, come here!"

The Captain looked over, clearly startled by her shouting, but he promptly obeyed. When he got close enough Jess thrust some papers in his direction, "Sign these."

"Yes, ma'am," the dark-haired man replied sarcastically.

"Hey, Becker! Wanna join us for drinks tonight?" Connor asked.

Signing the documents with a flourish, the soldier responded, "Sorry, I have plans."

"If you say so," Connor shrugged, disbelief entering his tone.

Becker glared. "I do."

The gangly genius raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender. "Okay, okay, have fun or whatever."

Becker rolled his eyes back to the documents. "Yeah, whatever."

The field coordinator was a little disappointed to hear that Becker wouldn't be joining them but she wasn't going to let that stop her from having a good time.

When he was done, Jess took the papers from the Captain and added them to her pile. "There, I'm all done! We can go now."

Connor pumped his fist in the air. "Alright!"

When they arrived at the bar it was fairly empty. The group debated if they should stay or find another pub. Connor convinced everyone to give it a chance. They secured a pair of tables in the back for their eclectic group to claim as home base. The boys eventually wandered off to buy the girls drinks.

By the time everyone finished his or her first drink, the bar began to fill up. In the end, everyone was glad they stayed.

Jess became fast friends with one of the lab techs, a computer analyst by the name of Grace. The two young ARC employees shared similar interests, including an obsession with colorful high heels. Although, Jess did learn that Grace wore her collection of shoes in private and not at work. Lester would be proud.

After several hours, and several drinks, the girls decided to step outside for a breather. After a few minutes Grace drifted away to go bum a cigarette off a stranger.

Jess and Abby settled into a comfortable silence. Basking in the cool night air, the two friends began people watching. They had a plethora of passers-by to observe. Jess liked to make-up little stories for all the strangers on the sidewalk.

In the midst of an intriguing tale of love and scandal between a purple-haired cross-dresser and short man in a rumbled tie, Abby suddenly declared, "Isn't that Becker?"

Jess stopped her imaginary story to look where Abby was pointing. After adjusting her eyes to the glaringly bright street lamp overhead, she eventually spied Becker stagger out of a bar across the busy city street. His arms were around the waist of a sandy haired man who kept stumbling sideways, almost taking the off-duty Captain with him.

The two men had their heads close together, talking, or so Jess assumed.

"No wait," Abby slurred, dramatically squinting through her boozy haze. "That can't be him. Why would Becker be coming out of a gay bar?"

At these words, Jess's head snapped back up to further scrutinize the situation. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough time to double check if it really was Becker or just his look-a-like before the two men had hailed a cab and driven away.

Shaking her head, Jess chalked the incident up to drunken hallucinations. "Come on, Abby. Let's go back inside." But she couldn't help but feel like it might have possibly been Becker. And, at that thought, she couldn't help but feel jealous of the other man Becker had been clinging to.

 **.**

 **.**

 **3 – The Break Room**

The next week Jess found herself searching for Becker. He needed him to sign some forms for Matt. The odd thing was that she couldn't seem to find him anywhere. He wasn't in the locker room, or the armory, or in the lab with Connor or Abby, or the shooting range, or even in the menagerie visiting Rex.

Frustrated, Jess finally gave up and settled for checking the security camera footage. Thinking it would be fastest to check where Becker went after he arrived at the ARC that morning, Jess rewound the parking garage footage to about an hour or so before. Becker always arrived five minutes before eight; Jess constantly wondered how he did it.

Zooming in, Jess spotted Becker's dark SUV enter the parking garage. The time stamp read 7:55am, just as she knew it would. Jess watched the Captain park and climb out of the driver's side. Then, to the young woman's surprise, another man exited the passenger side door.

Squinting at the screen, Jess recognized the passenger to be the same sandy haired man that Becker's look-a-like had exited the gay bar with just a week ago. The field coordinator's brow crinkled in thought, wondering why the two men would be arriving to work together.

Jess followed their progress on the tiny screens through the security check point, to the locker room, passed the armory, before finally stopping in the break room near the computer labs. Checking the time stamp again, noting that the two men were still there, Jess picked up the documents and made her way toward the lab area.

Before entering, Jess stopped just outside the break room's bay window and glanced in. She spotted Becker sitting at a table with the mystery man in the far corner. Both men were nursing a cup of coffee and talking amiably.

Jess frowned to herself when she spied how close the two were sitting, elbows almost touching. Shaking her head at her nonsensical thoughts, the young woman continued into the room and slowly approached the table. Before she came within hearing range, the sandy-haired man said something that made Becker laugh. Jess forced herself to smile and continue walking calmly while her gut coiled in jealousy.

Becker looked up at the familiar sound of the field coordinator's clicking heels. He turned in his seat to face Jess's approaching figure. His smile faded slightly. The other man glanced down at his coffee, slowly taking a drink, avoiding eye contact all together.

"Hey, Becker! I've been looking for you everywhere," Jess said as she finally came to a stop in front of the table.

"Oh," the Captain raised his eyebrow in its typical action.

"Matt needs these signed as soon as possible." She shoved the papers clenched in her white-knuckle grip under his nose.

"Oh, right."

Becker took the papers from her while fishing around in his many pockets for a pen.

Meanwhile Jess took the time to examine the other man at the table. He wore a soldier's uniform but Jess didn't recognize him, even this close up. She guessed he must be one of the new recruits that had been hired a few weeks prior. He had more muscle than Becker, his arms and shoulders slightly stretching his uniform shirt. His fair-hair was slightly longer than regulation and, while he was looking down, it swept in front of his chocolate brown eyes. He had a long regal nose that ended near a pair of full lips. The mystery man looked as if he could be Becker's height but Jess couldn't tell with both the two soldiers sitting down.

The sandy-haired man seemed to feel her scrutiny and, after finishing one last gulp of his coffee, glanced up and made eye contact with the field coordinator. Afraid the situation would become awkward, Jess stuck out her hand and said, "Hello, I don't believe we've met. I'm Jess Parker."

"Lieutenant Wick," the man grinned, accepting her outstretched limb. Jess noted that his hands seemed oddly small and callused.

Not recognizing the name, she asked, "Are you one of the new recruits?"

"Yup, I finish my training tomorrow and then I'm out in the field."

"How nice," Jess smiled. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other plenty."

"Here you are, Jess," Becker said, capping his pen. "All signed."

"Thanks! I'll take these right back to Matt." She grabbed the rest of the papers from him and started to make her way to the door. "Bye, Becker! And good luck with the rest of your training, Lieutenant Wick!"

And, with one final wave over her shoulder, Jess left the break room and made her way back to the Hub. After dropping the file off at Matt's desk, Jess sat down in front of the ADD, determined to find out everything she could on one Lieutenant Wick.

Pulling up his personnel file in eight seconds flat, Jess couldn't help but comment; "Huh, he doesn't look like a Nathan."

 **.**

 **.**

 **4 – The Infirmary**

It had been a rough day. The three Anomalies and two Incursions that occurred just a few hours apart had put everyone on edge.

The last Incursion had been particularly bad. A pack of Velociraptors had made it through the Anomaly and had terrorized a popular picnic spot. While all the families had been safely evacuated, the raptors had proved to be difficult to catch.

Because there were no CCTVs in the area, Jess could only direct the security team via their black boxes. This made it hard for the teams to locate and spot the agile dinosaurs. Two soldiers were injured by surprise attacks.

When the last Velociraptor had finally been herded through, Becker had ordered the Anomaly to be locked and guarded. The remaining security team made their way back to the ARC shortly after.

Jess had expected Becker to report to the Hub, like he normally did after an Incursion. But after a half hour, when the Captain still hadn't shown up, the young woman took to liberty to check the location on his black box.

Becker was in the Infirmary.

Concerned that Becker had been hurt but didn't report it, Jess looked around to find someone to cover the ADD for her so she could quickly run to medical to check on the Captain. Spotting a friend, she called out, "Hey, Grace! Could you cover me for few minutes? I have to freshen up."

The computer analyst looked up from her workstation and nodded. "Sure thing, Jess."

"Thanks, girl! I owe you."

High heels clicking, Jess made her ways down the long, white corridors. She tried not to look stressed and scared, although she clearly was. She eventually made it to the Infirmary. Spotting a nurse, she asked where Captain Backer was located. She was directed to a private room in the back. But, before entering the room, Jess saw something that made her stop.

Becker and Lieutenant Wick both sat on the room's single bed, their backs to the door. Becker appeared unharmed but Lieutenant Wick was bleeding profusely from a claw mark on his right shoulder. Jess felt jealous when she saw them together, though she didn't exactly know why.

As Jess watched, Becker took off his black uniform jacket and, setting it aside, reached for some gauze on a nearby tray. He gently dabbed at the other soldier's injured shoulder, trying to clear away some of the blood so he could examine the wound further. When the Lieutenant flinched in pain the Captain quietly murmured something in his ear. After a few moments Wick said something too softly for Jess to hear.

Becker seemed disturbed by it. He promptly stopped his ministrations and placed his hands on either side of the Lieutenant's face. "Nathan, don't ever say something like that again," Becker spoke. His speech bled with a seriousness that Jess had only heard in times of great fear. "I don't know what I'd do if you died."

"I hope we never have to find out."

Wick's response made Becker beam.

His smile wasn't one Jess had ever witnessed before. It wasn't the customary smirk Becker usually gave Connor, and it wasn't the half smile that Jess normally received; but rather a full grin, teeth and all.

Jess suddenly felt like she was witnessing something very intimate. She turned to leave but not before witnessing Becker gently pull the sandy-haired soldier into a hug, still smiling.

Before they could see her, Jess fled back to the Hub. Afterward, Grace tried to engage her in conversation but Jess didn't feel very talkative.

 **.**

 **.**

 **5 – The Apartment**

It was a Thursday, one of Becker's few days off. In his excitement he had left the night before without turning in his monthly security evaluations.

Lester had called Jess that morning and instructed her to stop by Becker's apartment before going to work and pick up the Captain's report so he could present them to the Minister that afternoon. So, a half hour after the frantic call, when Jess knocked on Becker's door, she was very surprised when Lieutenant Wick answered.

"Hello?"

"Lieutenant Wick!" Jess gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Wick's brow crinkled. "I live here," he stated, confusion littering his voice.

For a moment Jess was afraid she had the wrong address. But, before Jess was able to say anything else, a familiar voice echoed out of the back-room, beyond the sight of the front door.

"Hey! Where are all my shirts?"

Wick shouted over his shoulder, "I'm doing a load of darks. Just wear one of mine!" He turned back to Jess and gestured for her to come in.

Wick closed the door behind them and made his way into the kitchen. "Can I help you with something, Jess?" the Lieutenant asked, casually leaning against the granite countertop.

"I just need Becker's security evaluations to give to Lester before his head explodes."

"Whose head? Lester's or Becker's?"

"Lester's head, most likely. But I wouldn't put it passed him to attempt to assassinate Becker due to his recent negligence."

Wick laughed, nodding in agreement.

The two settled into a comfortable silence. Wick poured Jess a fresh cup of coffee while they waited for Becker. A minute or so later the off-duty Captain strolled into the kitchen and headed straight for the fridge. "Hey, Nathan? Warn me next time you decide to wash all my shirts."

"Well," Wick rolled his eyes, "if you wore anything besides black you would have something else to wear when I did the laundry."

Jess snorted, "Like that's going to happen."

Becker spun around; he almost dropped the container of milk he had retrieved from the back of the refrigerator. "Jess! What are you doing here?"

Overcome with a sense of déjà vu, Jess jokingly crinkled her eyebrows and glanced at Wick who was sipping his coffee and said, "I live here."

Wick promptly spit out his drink, comically spraying all it over the counter. He doubled over with laughter. Jess grinned and managed a good chuckle before finishing her own cup of coffee.

Becker just stood, shocked, watching the two across the room from him. "No, but seriously… Jess?"

Wiping away a fake tear, the young woman answered, "You forgot to turn in your security report last night. Lester desperately needs it by this afternoon."

"Oh right," Becker nodded. He set down the container of milk and made his way over to an army backpack that was sitting in the hall. Opening it, he pulled out a big file covered in notes and loose pieces of paper.

"I'd better finish the laundry while he's distracted," Wick commented, winking at Jess before shuffling out of the kitchen and down the hall.

Meanwhile, Jess subtly watched Becker out of the corner of her eye as she refilled her cup with hot coffee. She noticed that Becker's hair was wet and not yet gelled. She assumed that he must have just gotten out of the shower. He was wearing a pair of loose jeans and a bright purple t-shirt – it was clearly Wick's shirt due to its loud coloring. Becker bit his lower lip in concentration as he gently tore loose the extra papers from the file. Jess noted that when he did so his bare toes curled into the front hall carpet.

To the field coordinator, the Captain looked like a completely different person than the one she saw at work. Here he was more relaxed, here he was comfortable.

When Becker returned with the report he carefully passed it to Jess before picking the milk container back up. Jess took advantage of the privacy to comment, "I didn't know that you lived with Lieutenant Wick?"

"Nathan?" Jess nodded into her drink, not wanting to look at Becker in the eye. "He moved in about a month or so ago."

"That's nice," Jess smiled. "You two seem to really compliment each other."

Becker hummed in agreement, slightly distracted by the tall glass of milk he was pouring.

Jess glanced at her phone and noted the time. "Gosh, I better go or Lester will have my job." She placed her half-full mug in the sink and started to make her way to the door. "By the way, you look very good in purple."

She saw Becker glance down at the shirt he wore and grin. "Thanks."

"Well, have a good day off!" she called, waving over her shoulder.

"We will," Becker responded. "See you tomorrow, Jess."

Jess didn't answer before slamming the door in his face. She tightly clenched the file, pulling it to her chest before making her way to the car. It wasn't until she was halfway to the ARC that she realized she was crying.

 **.**

 **.**

 **+1 – The Menagerie**

Jess avoided Becker for a few days, still frustrated with herself for reacting so strongly to his living arrangements. But, in the end, she reasoned that he was a grown man who could make his own decisions. Who was she to judge the Captain?

She caught lunch at the same time as Lieutenant Wick a week later. Being the polite person that she was, Jess started a conversation with him. By the end of lunch they had become fast friends. The young woman discovered that Wick was an excellent conversationalist.

"If you don't believe me, ask him yourself!" the fair-haired soldier challenged.

Jess giggled, smiling into her sandwich, and said, "Lieutenant Wick! I don't think Becker would appreciate it if I asked him about his _alleged_ diary."

"There's nothing 'alleged' about it! I've seen it," the man grinned. "And he has quite a few things to say about a certain field coordinator…" He wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

Jess almost dropped her lunch in surprise at the admission. Quickly recovering, she repositioned her hold on her sandwich and casually raised an eyebrow. "And what, Lieutenant Wick, could Becker possibly have to say about me?"

"He might have mentioned your obsession with chocolate, nothing with _orange_ I believe."

"Obsession? I object! My fascination with chocolate and its wonderful taste is strictly appreciative."

"Please, Jess, I didn't mean to offend you," Wick laughed. "And I think it would be best of you put down that poor sandwich before you crush it into a pulp."

Glancing down at her lunch, Jess noted that she had slowly started to grip the sandwich with such force that it was now barely edible. Sighing, she dropped it on her tray. Completely abandoning the meal, Jess reached into her lunch box and pulled out her dessert. "If you say anything," the young woman threatened, waving the chocolate bar in front of her conversation partner's smirk and raised eyebrow, "I'll hack into your file and find your most embarrassing secret and email it to the whole ARC, Lieutenant Wick."

"Very well," Wick conceded, his hands raised in the universal sign of surrender. "Oh, and please, call me Nathan. It's very hard to be friends with someone who is constantly bringing up my rank. It makes me feel like I work for the government."

The two laughed and finished their meal. Later, as Jess walked back to the Hub, she felt guilty for judging Wick for her own frustrations. He didn't deserve it.

The two continued to get lunch together when they could. Sometimes Becker would join them, although he didn't speak much and simply opted to observe his lunch mates.

However, after about a month, more and more Anomalies began opening up all over the region. Everyone was pulling double shifts, especially the security team.

After that Jess rarely saw Wick at lunch. Becker was also exceedingly absent, though Jess barely noticed. The field coordinator started having horrible headaches from staring at the ADD day in and day out. Her lack of sleep didn't help either.

It was a horrible turn of luck that led Jess to have a migraine on a blessedly calm Wednesday. The ARC had gone a full 18 hours without a single Anomaly. Many workers were taking the time to catch up on sleep but Jess was the only field coordinator that was fit for duty – her replacement had food poisoning.

Jess flinched when an announcement came over her headset. " _Eotyrannus secured and sedated. Team 2 is en route to the menagerie. Over._ "

" _Copy that, Team 2_ ," Becker's voice responded. " _I'll meet you there._ "

There were two dinosaurs leftover from an Anomaly the day before. They had become trapped in the present when the time portal closed before Becker and his team could push them back through. The security team had only just captured them after tracking the two Eotyrannus through a wooded area for hours.

However, being a computer analyst and not a paleontologist, Jess didn't know exactly what an Eotyrannus was. Unfortunately for her, Conner had been within hearing distance of her admission. The young genius had taken no time to explain to her what that particular breed of dinosaur entailed.

"Believed it or not," Connor had gushed, "the Eotyrannus is a tyrannosaur that appeared 50 million years before its infamous cousin, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. So it's from the Early Cretaceous period. To the untrained eye the Eotyrannus would look like a raptor, due to its size and speed, but the giveaway is the lack of single, giant claw on its hind feet…"

Jess eventually tuned him out. Connor's fast and excited talking aggravated her migraine. After Connor had finally left her alone she decided to go to the infirmary to request some pain medication. Asking a passing lab tech to watch the ADD while she was gone, Jess took off in the direction of the labs.

The field coordinator didn't make it too far before running into Grace.

"Jess!" Grace greeted her friend. "I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"

"Not too bad, just exhausted from all the Anomaly activity."

Grace nodded in understanding. "Yeah, Lester has me analyzing data from three months ago. _Three months!_ Sometimes I think he wants us all to be overworked government drones like he is. I mean, this much paperwork should be banned. It's a wonder we get anything done in this place!" She ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "God, I think I have a headache."

"Come with me to medical," Jess invited. "I was just heading there."

Agreeing to accompany her friend, Grace fell in step with the young field coordinator. They quickly found a helpful nurse – one that wasn't taking a nap – and were supplied with several pain pills.

Happily chatting with Grace, Jess slowly felt the sharp pains of her migraine fade away. They walked back toward their respective workstation together, purposefully taking the longer, roundabout path to further enjoy each other's company.

Just as the two friends laughed at a particularly nasty joke directed at the Minister, the ARC's interior alarm began to echo throughout the hallway. Jess and Grace paused, both wincing at the loud shrill and bright lights that accompanied the alarm.

"PERIMETER BREACH!" a shaky voice spoke over the PA system. Jess recognized it to be the lab tech she had appointed to watch the ADD during her absence. "WE HAVE AN INCURSION IN SECTOR C!"

"Sector C? That's us!" Grace fearfully yelled over the deafening siren.

"ALL PERSONNEL BEGIN EVACUATION! SECURITY TEAM 4, RESPOND TO TEAM 2'S LAST POSITION."

Knowing they should get out of the corridor, the companions quickly looked for the nearest workstation to hide in until the Incursion was over. Spying the menagerie's entrance halfway down the hall, Jess grabbed Grace's arm and started to run toward the doorway.

Suddenly a loud roar shook the corridor. The two froze in terror as a large dinosaur rounded the corner in front of them. The raptor-like creature was one of the two Eotyrannus the security team had been escorting from the Anomaly site. But now, instead of being securely locked up and sedated, the carnivorous dinosaur stalked just on the other side of the door that would offer them protection.

Knowing the only safe way to make it into the menagerie would be running toward the Eotyrannus, Jess repositioned her grasp on Grace's arm and squeezed tightly. Looking at her companion, Grace could see the determination in the young woman's face. Nodding at Jess, Grace held her friend's hand in a fierce grip.

They could only hope ARC security wasn't too far behind the terrifying beast.

Making the decision together, the two sprinted toward the menagerie's entrance. The unexpected movement startled the dinosaur. However, it swiftly reacted and jumped forward, snapping its large canines in its prey's direction. Due to the slick tiled floor, the Eotyrannus missed, sliding away from its apparent victims.

As Jess and Grace reached the door, the raptor-like dinosaur regained its footing and turned around to make a second assault. Grace frantically tried to swipe into workstation with her ID bracelet as a second roar shook the hall.

Wanting to protect her friend, Jess turned to face the attack; she was prepared to utilize all the ARC self-defense training Matt had put her through. The carnivorous creature lunged again and was met with a high-heeled foot snapping up into its face. The sharp heel of Jess' shoe embedded itself into the exposed hide just under the Eotyrannus' jaw. The dinosaur howled in pain. Bringing her foot down, Jess ripped her spiked heel out of the dinosaur's flesh. A spray of hot blood gushed out of the wound and onto the field coordinator's bare legs.

Then, suddenly, several things happened all at once. The familiar electric hum of an EMD buzzed down the hall, followed by ARC security. The menagerie door beeped and slid open for Grace and Jess to escape into. The Eotyrannus momentarily recovered. Jess slipped on blood. The dinosaur lunged. An EMD fired. Grace screamed. The two friends tumbled into the room.

Briefly, silence fell.

The menagerie door automatically slid shut, sealing Jess and Grace safely into the empty room. Jess gingerly picked herself up from the floor. "Yikes!" Jess said as a small, hysterical giggle threatened to escape. "That was close."

"J-j-jess?"

The field coordinator spun around to see her friend slumped against a lab table. Beneath her was a growing pool of blood. Jess dropped to her knees, not caring if she ruined one of her favorite dresses. "Oh my God," she breathed. "Grace?"

In an attempt to find the source of all the blood, Jess carefully moved her hands up and down the computer analyst's chest and abdomen. A loud roar, and the subsequent retaliation from ARC security, sounded outside the door. Startled by the noise, Jess accidently pressed on the large laceration on Grace's left side where the Eotyrannus' claws had grazed her. Grace's groan turned into a gasp, a small dribble of blood escaped the corner of her mouth, making its way down her jawline.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry," Jess cried, apologizing for the pain her friend was enduring. Glancing toward the door, which rattled and dented inward whenever the deadly beast slammed its body into it, Jess spied several lab coats hanging up on a coatrack. Running over, the field coordinator grabbed them with her bloodied hands and applied one of them to her friend's wound.

Grace whimpered at the unexpected pressure. "Jess… h-hurts."

"I know. I know. I'm sorry," Jess whispered, watching the white lab coat slowly turn pink then red. "Don't worry. Help is on the way."

More noise erupted from the hallway. The buzz of EMDs echoed followed by a large thump. Another dent was made in the door. Jess could hear orders being barked from somewhere outside the menagerie. The stomping of boots and more shouting grew closer and closer to the doorway.

Suddenly a loud banging shook the door. Jess screamed in fear. Grace screamed in pain.

"HELLO?" a soldier's voice shouted. "We'll get you out in a second! The dinosaur's body is blocking the door!"

"Please hurry!" Jess yelled back.

Turning back to Grace's slumped form, she tossed away one soaked lab coat and applied a new one to the bleeding injury. More blood dripped from Grace's mouth; her breathing slowed into a gurgled wheeze.

"Grace, come one! Stay with me!" Jess sobbed.

Just then Grace's eyes rolled into the back of her head; all feeble and pained movements stilled. An eerie calm descended on the room. Jess' bloodied fingers flew to her friend's neck in an effort to find a pulse. "Oh my God," Jess cried loudly, trying to rouse her friend. "Grace! Please, no! GRACE!"

The door banged open. Jess screamed again, her hands flew up in defense. Soldiers flooded into the room.

"We have two injured!" one of the men barked into his handheld radio. "Prep medical."

Then, for Jess, the world was a blur of activity and blood. Several soldiers quickly whisked Grace away from her crying friend. Soon the only indication that Jess hadn't been alone during the Incursion was the bloody trail they left behind. Another soldier quickly checked out the field coordinator and determined she wasn't injured, simply in shock. Having more serious injuries to attend to, the solider left Jess to her own devices.

More soldiers showed up, securing the area. One of the new arrivals was Captain Becker. He had been with another security team tasked to take down the second Eotyrannus that had escaped. At the report of wounded civilians in the menagerie he quickly made his way toward the labs to oversee the situation. Striding down the hallway he was horrified to recognize Jess' friend, Grace, being carried away from the scene.

He stopped briefly to inquire if the ARC employee was alive. She was, barely.

The body of the downed dinosaur was haphazardly sprawled where it had been dumped after it was dragged away from the door. It took over most of the corridor, making soldiers cautiously step around its limp limbs. The creature still sluggishly bled from a wound in its neck.

Becker noted more blood arching across the doorframe of the menagerie as he stepped into the room. He also spotted a bloodstained lab coat and a large pool of blood. On the far side of the gruesome scene was Jess, collapsed and covered in gore.

Alarmed, the Captain almost dropped his EMD. He fearfully rushed over to the motionless field coordinator. He breathed a sigh of relief when she seemed to be alive and conscious.

Becker crouched in front of Jess. The young woman's eyes were red and swollen. From her position against the lab table she could easily look up into the Captain's concerned gazed.

"Oh God, Jess," he breathed; one gloved hand reaching out to caressed her face. "Are you alright?"

Jess hummed, subconsciously leaning into his touch. "It's not my blood. It's not my blood." New tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. "Is Grace okay? Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes, she's on her way to medical now."

"Thank God!" Jess slumped back into the wall, relief completely flooding her body.

A silence settled over the two. Several other soldiers bustled about the area before shuffling out of the room. The remaining solider reported to his Captain. "Area is clear, sir. The dinosaur is dead."

"Good job. Go oversee its relocation. I'll assist Jess to the infirmary."

"Yes, sir." The solider saluted and followed after the others.

Becker turned back to Jess and pulled out a handkerchief from one of his many pockets. Accepting it, Jess slowly cleaned some of the blood from her hands. Wordlessly handing it back to Becker, Jess met his worried stare. "I'm alright," she reassured him. "I promise."

He sighed, shoulders slightly losing some built up tension.

They held each other's gaze for several seconds. After a moment, something in Becker's eyes changed. His eyes gazed down at Jess' lips, a look of contemplation crossed over his face. And, when his eyes moved climbed back up to meet hers they had hardened in resolve.

Moving the hand that had once rested on her cheek, he lovingly gripped the base of her skull and pulled Jess into a tentative kiss. Once their lips met Jess could feel a spark of energy pass between them.

Reacting on instinct, she leaned into the kiss, full engaged until a certain thought crossed her mind. Pulling out of the kiss, Jess placed both of her hands on Becker's chest, gently pushing him far enough away that she could see his whole face.

" _What about Nathan?_ " she timidly asked.

"My cousin?" Becker's brow furrowed in confusion. "What about him? Wait… you're not seeing him, are you?"

Jess laughed, spying the jealous look on the Captain's face, and answered, "No, no I'm not." And, before Becker could figure out what she was talking about, Jess pulled him into another, more passionate kiss.

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ **: Done! I'm so glad to finally have that out of my system.**

 **I absolutely adore both Jess Parker and Captain H. Becker. I really wish Primeval explored both of their characters more in the show. They could have such amazing backstories and personalities. As much as I love Cutter, Conner, Abby, and Danny they has such detailed expositions that I feel as though fans know them well enough. But Jess and Becker don't have that. We are left with some mysteries about them, which can be exciting, but also can be disappointing.**

 **I'm debating writing another one-shot, a sequel of course! If you're interested in a story about Becker figuring out that Jess thought he was gay, please let me know. Either a review or private message will do. IF there is enough interest I will definitely write it.**

 **Please review! XOXO**


End file.
